How a Viral Infographic Should Look Like

“Sex Sells!” This is the most common, if not the most popular saying in the world of marketing and advertising. And so far, it does. Most TVCs, billboards, and radio marketing materials go viral when an element of sexuality is involved. The main reason is that, it’s human nature. And you’re more likely to stare at a promotional item with sexual elements in it, and be driven to purchase the item whether you need it or not.

Does the “Sex Sells!” rule work for Infographics?

Infographics, the world’s trend setter in digital marketing, defies the unwritten law. Sex is a no-no topic when it comes to Infographics. Not that there aren’t any Infographics about sex, or containing sexual content, because their are hundreds.

They just don’t get a lot of attention as many designers and marketers contemplated two years ago when Infographics were still very new. Infographics with any sexual content have no impact and no influence in terms of being the most popular online content to drive traffic to a website. Shocker!

Sex may have failed in this platform, as people are reluctant to share them. Why? Sex related Infographics are not the best performing in terms of link building, traffic driving or share-ability. They portray a business and/individual in a bad light – pornographic even.

What goes viral?

In the world of Infographics, Coffee sells! Believe it or not: Coffee is the “new sex” when it comes to Infographics. The other four most popular themes for Infographics are: Drugs, Apple (company), Technology and Geeks.

It is worth noting that mentioning Apple, Facebook or Twitter in an Infographic is the key to successfully raising awareness of a product or service, and to drive traffic and links to websites.

The best performing Infographics relate to these three factors:

1. Subject – Focus on a key brand, and you’ve hit a home-run! Infographics on Apple, Facebook and Twitter always do well. Also try to include some interesting, catchy or even shocking facts to make your Infographic go viral.

2. Design – Great quality design, clear use of color and great copy. Also make sure that the design really matches the topic of the Infographic. The color pink and a childish style are perfect for an Infographic on the Barbie doll but not on on-line banking services.

a) If the designer works on the visual graphics of an Infographic for weeks or even months, then the Infographic becomes too complex for majority of the audience to comprehend. Summarize the story in a single work of art that is beautiful, simple and suitable for all audiences.b) Consider working with at least 2 font types and font sizes. If you really want to emphasize, you can opt to use bold or italics, but don’t over do it! The less disruptive an Infographic is, the better.

3. Length – You may KISS your Infographic, but if it’s too short, it looks shallow; if it’s too long, it becomes boring. Communicating complex data, by applying the KISS formula (Keep It Short and Simple) is a high art. If it has to be long, relay the information neatly, grouping text with relevant images.

There you have it: The components of a viral Infographic. Now your chances of making your next Infographic viral are much higher. And if you can find the right Infographic design company, even better. 🙂 Good luck!